Ship-steering apparatus



- Sepia. M 1923. 11A-67,982

P. A. JoHNsoN SHIP STEERING APPARATUS original Filed Maren 2S. 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 Sepia. il E923. MQW/$982 P. A. JOHNSON SHI P S TEERING APPARATUS original Filed March 28. 1921 2 'sheets-sheet z j@ ef mmm Patented Sept.. lll., i923.,

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SHIP-STEERENG APFARATUS.

Application led March 28, 1921, Serial No. 456,377. Renewed. June 18, 1923.

To all whom. t may concern:

Be it known that l, PETER A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State ofOregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ship-Steering Apparatus, of which the following is a speciication. i'

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mechanical means for steering vessels either motor or steam, and it has particular relation to fluid pressure means to be used for this purpose, the same being operated through a controlling device which actuates either hydraulic or pneumatic pressure, as desired and with equally effective results, the same operative mechanism` being employed in either vinstance.

The present invention is designed as an improvement on the device for which the United States on May 11, 1920, granted me Letters Patent No. 1,339,850 and one of the objects l have in view is to provide as a precautionary measure of safety and in addition to the means shown in my patent, an auxiliary manually operable steering gear, such as shown in Fig. 1.

Since the date of the above patent the device has been given a thorough try-out under adverse conditions; the hydraulic system with the usual and well known success ful results of that system and the pneumatic system withstill more successful results, the rudder being brought from hard aport to hard astarboard in 'nine seconds, while the vessel was going full speed astern. yThese results were brought about because of the fact that with a ressure of one hundred and thirty pounds 1n the compressor, a force of approximately 240 tons can be brought to l' The great advantage o bear upon the pneumatic steering gear.

It is to be observed however that under the customary hydraulic system of steering,

there is a constant 'vibration imparted to the rudder either by the forceful driving' of the propeller or on account of the wash from heavy seas; this vibration is ordinarily taken care of by an arrangement of steel springs. There is a tendency however on the part of the steel of which the springs. are composed to. erystallize which-leads to not infrequent deran ement of the gear.

gthepfneumatic `steergear in this respect is that' the constant ration 'of the rudder is entirely absorbed by the cushions of compressed air against the piston-heads in the cylinders.

With the form of valve in the controller shown in the patent when the ship is going at full speed astern there was found to be a tendency for said valve to via-pass a small amount of air to the pistonheads and thus cause the rudder t0 creep slightly under the conditions mentioned.

Another object therefore of my invention is to substitute for the old form of valve construction a modied form which will allow the accumulated compressed air in the upper part of the controller shell to counteract the air pressure in the lower part of the valve and thus overcome the slight tendency of the rudder to creep by thus preventing the escape of the air between the valve and the valve seat. This change in construction has been found in practice to obviate entirely any creeping of the rudder.

With `these and other objects in view which may be incident t0 my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter ,set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements comprising my invention, may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangement, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. v

ln order to make my invention more. clearly understood, li have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limitingthe improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.'

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my device upon a vessel.

`Fig. 2 is `a perspective view 'of the controller, with the upperv cover broken away showing the base, the valve seat, the valve, and thenon-return check va1ve.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the valve on the line 3--3 of Figure d.

Fig. i is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

SHEHSSUE Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 ofl Fig. 3, and

yFig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of my 1m- Vproved check valve.

Mounted upon a rudder post 1 is a horizontal tiller arm 2 rigidly secured at rightA angles to the post and provided with a contact arm 3 which also acts as a pointer, in line with the rudder and pointing toward the prow of the ship. This arm or pointer extends from the inner central portion of the tiller arm, which latter at 'its outer ends is provided with o enings. Extending forwardly from the-tiller arm and forming a part thereof is a curved metallic bar or quadrant 5` provided in its exterior surface with teeth that intermesh with a pinion 7 whose vertical shaftl 8 is provided with any suitable means for manually steering the ship. This arrangement is provided out of abundant caution so that if the hydraulic or pneumatic means for any reason should fail'to function, the ship may be steered by hand.

Within the quadrant and so positioned that the Acontact arm 3 will operate across its face is a contact plate 9, the same being connected with a tell-tale system whose indicator 10 is located in the pilot house or other enclosure 11, the two portions of the system being connected by the wires 12, as shown in Fig. l. A generator G or other suitable source of electricity furnishes the necessary lcurrent to operate the system, the object of which is to indicate to the helmsman the exact position of the rudder at all times.

On opposite sides of the center line of the ship are two cylinders 13`and 13 each having piston heads 14 and 14 and piston rods 15 and 15 extending therefrom. These cylinders are placed forward of the tiller arm and appropriately located with respect to each end thereof. Securely attached to the rear end of the cylinders and in parallel alignment with the piston rods are guide bars 16 and 16 upon which operate cross heads 17 and 17', securely mounted upon the guide bars and rigidly'secured upon their outer end to the piston rods. Connecting rods 18 and 1'8 are `also pivotally mounted in the cross heads, opposite the ends of the piston rods by means of pins 19 and 19', the farther ends of said rods being pivoted in the respective ends of the tiller arm 2, by means of pins 3 and 4.

The cylinders referred to are connected by a. suitable system of piping with one another and with an air compressor 2O of the usual or any approved construction which 1n turn is connected with a pressure tank 21. The systemY of piping is further connected with a hydraulic pump 22v and both the air compressor and the hydraulic pump are each connected to the main supply pipe 23 by means of which either air, or fluid as vdeslred may be supplied to the system for the operation of ther rudder, there being of course appropriate valvessuch as indicated at 24, 25 and 26 wherebyieitherthe air or thevfiuid'may be--cut off from the system,

The .pipe 23 extends directly to the pilot house and between it and the rest' of the system of piping is interposed a four-Way valve controller 27 which re lates to a nicety the amount of air or flui pressure in the cylinders, thereby securing the desired movement of the rudder.

rllhe controller mechanism includes a housing or shell and valve mechanism, the housing or shell consisting of wo parts 28 and 29. The part 28 is cylindrical in form and with the base part 29 forms a perfect airtight case for valve 30. Communicatin with the part 29 are the beforementione pipes 23,37 and 38 each being open into the ports 31 and 31 and thence to .fore and aft ends of cylinders 13'- and 13. Seated immediately upon the base part 29 and rotatable within the part 28 is a valve 30. The upper portion of the valve discl30 is cast with integral shoulders or ridges a and in the depression b between them flits a cross bar c upon the lower end of the stem. A boss d rests upon the shoulders a and between the boss and the under sides of the shell 28 is a leather washer f. The upper end of the valve stem extends through an aperture in the top of the shell, is screw threaded and provided with a slot g and a handle 35 which is securely held to the valve stem by a key h. Above is a lock nut i and a cap-nut 'y'. These details of construction are for the purpose of insuring absolute accuracy of adjustment in parts together. v

On the face of the valve 30 adjacent the valve seat are two curved oppositely disposed recessed ports 31 and 31. i ing through the valve 30 and forming a meansA of communication between the valve ports 31 and 31 and the upper part of the putting the several Extendshell are two non-return check valves 33 'l and 33. The structure of this valve is more clearly shown in Figure 6. These valves as seen in Figure 6 permit the ready passage of air or any other fluid upward through thevalve into the cavity in the upper part of the shell but prevent any return iow of the air or otherfluid. The purpose of this non-return check valve is to permit a pressure in the upper part of the shell sufiicient to counteract the pressure below the valve due to pressure from the source of air\supply through the pipe 23. Without thisk .provision the air pressure might raise somewhat the valve 30 and per mit an internal passage of the air between the part 29 andthe valve 30. f t

As will be lseen from Figure 3 the posi-4 tion of the valve port 31 'and 311may be determined by the movement of the handle 35. In Figure 3. the air pressure through the pipe 23 passes into the. valve ports .31 and3`1 and also through the pipes 37 and 38 t@ thecylindersl and 13 producing t both sides of the l incassa the pipe 38 to communicate with the pipe' 36 and the valve port 31 retains communication between the pipes 23 and 37. 1n this way pressure passes through the pipe 37 into the after part of the cyllnder 13 and the forward part of the cylinder 13 While through the pipe 38 air 1s exhausted from the after part of c lindex 13 and the forward part of cylin er 13' through the pipe 36, to the atmosphere.

The opposite results are accomplished whenever the handle 35 is moved to the left hand as shown in Figure 3. Als can readily be seen from an inspection of lFi res 3, 4e, and 5 the pressure through the pipe 23 has a tendency to displace the valve 30 and to permit the air to pass Wastefully into the pipe not in communication with the pipe 23, by either the valve connections 31 or 31.

rlhe area of the ports 31 and 31 is about three square inches, which at an air pressure of pounds per square inch would exert a lifting bottom of the revolving plate 30'and raise it off its seat. Therefore the small check valves 33 and 33' are placed one'on eachy side directly over 31 and 31 with a small port opening into each admitting air from the feed lines through and above the revolving plate 30. rllhe area of the top of the revolving plate is about 9 square inches and hence there is exerted thereon a downward pressure, which in the instant case amounts to about 900 pounds.

lt is to be noted that the valve portsare arranged to lap in a manner to cut oil the exhaust and permit air to enter the cylinder pipes as pre-determined for the operation. Only suiiicient air is permitted to escape .from opposing sides of the piston heads to adjust the rudder to a pre-determined positlon for steering a desired course, and to equalize the pressure on the exhausting 'sides with that on the `opposing sides comlng directly from the pressure tank, to retain the rudder when thus set. When the necessary amount of air is exhausted, the controller valve is returned to original position closing exhaust port and opening feed pipe 23 to pipe 38 and air admitted on piston heads with pressure equalized, and the rudder adjusted to the precise course desired. It is only when the valve 30 is operated by handle 35 that a. change of rudder position results as desired.

Should the pneumatic system fail for any cause, the valve 26 should be closed, and the valve 24 opened, when the auxiliary hyforce-of 300 pounds on the? draulic system is substituted. to operateithe steering'apparatus, in the 'manner hereinbe fore described for the pneumatic system. llt

is to be noted that vvith the pneumatic system, the piston heads are'cushloned upon air and any impact upon the rudder from an external source is resiliently received, and the pistons immediately return to the predetermined set position, the ressure on either side ci the piston heads eing stabilized by air under suitable compression.

Further, the liability of the rudder and its cooperating parts to get out of order or to break, isovercome. lllhis result is not possible vvith the hydraulic system, yet for emergency purposes `the use of such system is as satis actory as any system devise prior to the pneumatic system herein described.

ll claim as my invention 1. En a steering apparatus for vessels, the combination with .a rudder, two sepa-rate duid pressure cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, means attached to each piston tor controlling the rudder, a two-part pipe line system conducting duid to and from each of the Huid pressure cylinders of a valve controlling the Hovv of duid in the twopart pipeline system, comprising a valve housing, valve seat, a valve mounted Within the valve seat, said valve having slots form=- ing valve ports to permit of the passa e of duid to one pipe and the exhaust of fluid from the other pipe or to admit Huid to both pipes and one-vvay valve openings leading from the'valve ports into the housing, whereby the passage of lduid into the housing produces a pressure tending to hold the valve seated and leakage Jfrom the housing through the exhaust port is prevented.

2. lin a steering apparatus for vessels, the combination with a rudder, two separate ilid pressure cylinders a piston in each cylinder,^means attached to each piston for controlling the rudder, a two-part pipe line system conducting duid Vto and from each of the Huid pressure c linders, of a single valve controlling the ovv of duid into the two-part pipe line system, comprising a base part and a cylindrical part, said base part and cylindrical p art forming a housmg, the base part havlng openings therein for ythe passage of duids, a valve seated within the housing and having two oppo- 'sitely disposed slots therein for the valve lill@ lll@ sure supply pipe and exhaust pipe and a B80 4 i 1,4n7,ese

plurality of distributing pipes, of a valve ing the pressure supply with the chamber in normally connecting the supply and disthe casln above the valve, whereby a 10 tributing pipes and being adjustable to secounter-ba ancing pressure is maintained on lectively and exclusively connect any disthe top of the mam valve at all times.

5 tri-buting pipe with the supply pipe and the lin testimony whereof I ailix my signaother distributing pipe with the exhaust, ture. the valve being provided with a casing and a one-Way valve in the main valve connectl l PETER A. JOHNSON. 

